Toward Something American The Immigrant Soul by Peter Marin

Peter Marin’s article â€Å"Toward something American: The Immigrant Soul† explains the subtle but noticeable difference between American life and American culture. American culture is defined as primarily western, but is influenced by Native American, African, Asian, Polynesian and Latin American cultures. (Wiki) Marvin explains that American culture is not much more than a mixture of past cultures. American life is slightly different. Marvin writes American although influenced by past cultures struggles to find home. Marvin states â€Å"home† is for us, as it is for all immigrants, sometimes to be regained, created, discovered, or mourned†. There are qualities and aspects that make up culture which can be defined as American or Western. In this essay we will explore the distinction between life and culture and if culture can be easily be distinguished between American or Western. Peter Marin’s article â€Å"Toward Something American: The Immigrant Soul† explains his views on American life versus American culture and how they differ. He explains that in the average American life it is simply the task of finding and calling the place they now reside in home. â€Å"Home is for us, as it is for all immigrants, something to be regained, created, discovered, or mourned-not where we are in time or space, but where we dream of being†. (84) In other words, a new immigrant coming to America and a descendent to new world immigrant still experience the same conflict of American life. In theShow MoreRelatedAmerican Stereotypes of Immigrants Essay881 Words   |  4 Pagesfor many generations. The country earned its title by accepting immigrants of various cultures and molding, or melting, them into the American lifestyle. However, the â€Å"melting pot† idea of America is starting to dissipate. According to a Newsweek Poll on the public, â €Å"only 20 percent still think America is a melting pot† (Morganthau and Wolfberg, par.4). As more Americans push away immigrants and create stereotypes against said immigrants, America continues to lose its title as a â€Å"melting pot.† ThereRead More Indian Culture And How It Translates to America Essay1506 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica dress don’t dress as modestly and the Indian dress code is put aside. Indian children that have grown up in America may find it hard not to give in to American ways. Most Indian-American youth dress and act like Americans. And it is all of that which is put into question and threated when immigrants leave one place for another (Marin 112). Nevertheless, emigrants from India do attempt to stay true to their religion and they go to great lengths to practice their religion. Worshipping is the